Skill Archetypes

Identify which archetype fits best and follow its structure.

1. CLI Reference Skill

For tools, CLIs, APIs. Structure by operations, minimize prose.

## Authentication
[How to authenticate]

## Core Operations
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `tool init` | Initialize project |
| `tool run` | Execute task |

## Common Workflows
[Task-oriented examples]

Examples: kamal-coder, wrangler-coder, gh-cli

2. Methodology Skill

For development practices, workflows, philosophies.

## Core Philosophy
[Why this approach matters - 2-3 sentences max]

## The Process
1. [Step with criteria]
2. [Step with criteria]

## Decision Criteria
| Situation | Action |
|-----------|--------|
| [condition] | [response] |

Examples: tdd-workflow, dhh-coder, founder-mode

3. Safety/Security Skill

For operations with risk. Include tiered approvals.

## Risk Tiers

| Tier | Operations | Approval |
|------|------------|----------|
| Low | Read-only queries | Auto |
| Medium | Modifications | Confirm |
| High | Destructive ops | Explicit |

## Blocking Patterns
[What to never do]

## Allowing Patterns
[Safe operations]

Examples: infra-security-review, devops-verifier

4. Orchestration Skill

For multi-step processes that coordinate other tools.

## Quick Start
[Minimal invocation]

## Workflow Phases
1. [Phase]: [What happens]
2. [Phase]: [What happens]

## Machine-Readable Output
[JSON/YAML schema for automation]

Examples: build-task-workflow, quality-gate

Advanced Patterns

THE EXACT PROMPT Pattern

For reproducible agent-to-agent handoffs, encode prompts in ALL CAPS:

## THE EXACT PROMPT

ANALYZE THE FOLLOWING CODE FOR SECURITY VULNERABILITIES:
1. CHECK FOR HARDCODED SECRETS
2. IDENTIFY SQL INJECTION RISKS
3. FLAG INSECURE DEPENDENCIES

RETURN FINDINGS AS JSON WITH SEVERITY LEVELS.

Checklist Pattern

For multi-step processes with progress tracking:

## Checklist

- [ ] Step 1: [Action with success criteria]
- [ ] Step 2: [Action with success criteria]
- [ ] Step 3: [Action with success criteria]

Mark each complete before proceeding.

Feedback Loop Pattern

For operations requiring validation:

## Validation Loop

1. Execute action
2. Verify result matches criteria
3. If FAIL: diagnose → fix → goto 1
4. If PASS: proceed to next step

Never advance without validation passing.